Football legend Michael Owen gave a heartbreaking interview on Good Morning Britain earlier this week. The former England star appeared alongside his 17-year-old son James on the show, and they talked about something that has impacted the whole family: James’ disease.
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James was diagnosed with Stargardt disease when he was just eight, and his health struggles have been tough on him and his parents. He is now clinically blind. Here’s an explanation of the condition and a run-down of what they revealed during the interview.
What is Stargardt disease?
According to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Stargardt disease is an ‘inherited eye condition that affects your macula, which is the tiny central part of your retina; the light-sensitive layer at the back of your eye’. It typically impacts your vision when you are looking directly at something, rather than your peripheral vision. This means that it is hard to recognise people when looking straight at them, and activities such as reading are challenging. The condition can also affect how you see colour.
There is currently no cure for this disease, but many hope that with advances in medical technology, people suffering with this condition may see some better treatment offered in their lifetime.
What Michael said about the disease
Michael spoke about how difficult it had been when James was growing up with Stargardt disease. The family didn’t realise he had an issue with his vision, so his behaviour was often misinterpreted. Michael said:
I'd get people coming up to me saying 'just a bit of advice for your son, when he shakes your hand, tell him to look in someone's eye' and things like that - I'd always think to myself 'shall I tell him? No I'll just leave it'
Michael and his son share a passion for football, and this disease obviously had a major impact on James’ skills on the pitch. Michael explained that he is not a ‘pushy parent’, but wanted to help his son. Instead of shouting, they developed a system where Michael would whistle from off the pitch so James knew something was wrong. The pair are set to feature in a documentary, Football is for Everyone, that will air on January 30.
Michael explained how painful it is for parents when their child is suffering:
I suppose as a parent, myself and my wife probably felt far worse than James, which sounds really bad.
You want to take all the pain away from him, you feel sorry for him every time he goes to hospital and gets new drops that make his eyes sting and he's crying all day.
He revealed that he and his wife 'go to bed every night praying something will be there to cure him, but at the moment, it's a condition that regresses over time’. Indeed, RNIB states that it is:
hoped that current research and developments into drug and gene therapies will lead to treatments soon for those that are in the early stages of Stargardt, while stem cell therapy can give hope to those who have had the condition for a while.
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Sources used:
The Sun: OWEN AGONY Michael Owen heartbreakingly admits he prays every single night for cure for rare disease that has blinded his son James
The Standard: Michael Owen reveals anguish over condition that left his son James, 17, clinically blind
